Pre-Game Talk: 2023-2024 Habs Rookie Camp & Training Camp

[yianik]

there's literally no one on this board that would want to see the Habs stop rushing prospects to the NHL more then me.

I can vouch for this. Lol.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Waivers, buddy waivers. The Habs don't want to put them on waivers.​

This is going to be detailed but very important/intricate. Cap watchers, have at it!

There are three goals:

a. get as close as possible to the $83,500,000 limit with Price on the cap;​

b. do not risk losing anyone on waivers you are not ok with losing for nothing​

c. minimize the demotions of players with ELC bonuses since their bonuses will count when brought up​

​

Guys we cannot waive or demote:

Price (injured)​

Gallagher (NMC)​

Reinbacher (already loaned to Swiss league)​

The guys we can put on waivers and expect no one to claim them are:

Armia​

Allen​

​

Guys we can waive and don't mind if they are taken:

Primeau (assumes Allen is ahead of him and we don't want to run three goalies)​

Lindstrom​

​

Bonus amounts and cap hit if demoted and recalled:

$3.500M bonus; Slafkovsky cap hit becomes $4,450,000​

$0.420M bonus; Guhle cap hit becomes $1,283,333​

$0.275M bonus: Barron cap hit becomes $1,200,000​

avoid demoting these three if possible​

​

$0.557M bonus; Farrell cap hit becomes $1,455,000 (already demoted)​

note: Habs probably don't see recall as likely except on emergency basis​

​

All other ELC bonuses are less than $83k and resulting cap hits $925k or less​

​

Cap moves to make, starting from today's roster of 31:

1. waive Armia and Allen - no one will take them​

2. waive Lindstrom & Primeau​

not likely taken but don't care a lot​

3. demote Heineman/Mailloux/Norlinder - all waiver exempt​

4. paper demote Harris and Xhekaj - also waiver exempt​

5. place Price on compliance roster​

6. roster is either 20 (13+5+2) + Dvorak/Wideman on regular IR, or 22 men including them​

7. we comply and are less than 500 dollars from the cap - virtually no waste​

8. after compliance, Price goes on LTIR​

9. recall Allen, Harris & Xhekaj - now 22 active players (13+7+2) plus Wideman/Dvorak on IR​

10. bring up Armia as 14th F while Dvorak is on IR​

11. waive Wideman when healed​

12. replace Armia with Dvorak when Dvorak is healed, if no new injury to any F​

All three original goals are met. Voila!

 

[morhilane]

So if my calculations are right, there are now 30 players left.

F: Suzuki, Caufield, Newhook, Dach, Slaf, Anderson, Monahan, RHP, Ylonen, Heineman, Gallagher, Armia, Evans, Pearson, Pezzetta, Andersson & Maillet.
Dvorak is an LTIR candidate.

D: Guhle, Barron, Mailloux, Matheson, Savard, Kovacevic, Harris, Xhekaj, Norlinder & Lindstrom.
Wideman is an LTIR candidate.

G: Montembeault, Allen & Primeau
Carey Price is an LTIR candidate.

I imagine Maillet will be placed on waivers tomorrow, possibly Andersson also, though I can see them keep him for another game. We can also expect Mailloux and Norlinder to be sent down to Laval eventually.

Then it will depend if Matheson is ready to start the season or if he will need to be placed on IR. If on IR, then Habs can carry 13F & 7D, even if they carry 3 goalies. If Mike is good to go, then they might go 12F, 8D, 3G.

Something gotta give somewhere.

I'm not sure why they kept Norlinder and Mailloux, both need more AHL time and can't play defense at the NHL level. They will probably be put on the same pair in the next game. This is Bergevin level of stupid decisions.

Andersson/Maillet will probably be sent down via waivers later today.

The big question is which three among Pezz/Armia/Pearson/Ylonen/Heineman/Evans are keep 12 forwards to allow for Primeau to stay up.

 

[abo9]

Yeah, I don’t know why everybody loves to hype our prospects when they can’t even beat out anyone on a bottom5 roster.

I was quietly and consistently hyping Roy but if he couldn’t kick the door down this time I don’t know when he’ll ever have a better chance.

All this talk of “HuGo need more time to get rid of garbage” is weak rationalization, training camp is when players jockey for spots on the depth chart… that is when they’re meant to show that they’re better than ‘garbage’!

At least Roy has an excuse… we’ll see about the others…

I do give a pass to prospects who havent even played AHL yet. Roy is a project (5th round), plays well. We'll see what he does.

Also, they should beat giys like Gallagher, Armia, Pearson, Anderson. However, they all have 3+M salary, so idk whats the politics behind dumping those contractsnin the AHL (would Molson allow it for more than 1 player?). We're also stuck woth Gallagher on a Lucic esque contract.

 

[ReHabs]

I do give a pass to prospects who havent even played AHL yet. Roy is a project (5th round), plays well. We'll see what he does.

Also, they should beat giys like Gallagher, Armia, Pearson, Anderson. However, they all have 3+M salary, so idk whats the politics behind dumping those contractsnin the AHL (would Molson allow it for more than 1 player?). We're also stuck woth Gallagher on a Lucic esque contract.

I agree Roy has an excuse, for this year at least. But I don’t think it is thought that he has outplayed those other guys.

Rookies need to beat down the door not just be another warm body.

 

[abo9]

I agree Roy has an excuse, for this year at least. But I don’t think it is thought that he has outplayed those other guys.

Rookies need to beat down the door not just be another warm body.

Thats my biggest gripe, the prospects dont look like they have urgency at all. I dont care if Suzuki/Caufield dont, but anyone else 23 and under should be going ham.

A lot fo these kids have done tremendously well up until now though, so I'm still excited. At least, more than a few years ago when our prospects couldnt even hack it in the AHL

 

[EveryDay]

I don't see why Norlinder wasn't cut yesterday.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Yeah, I don’t know why everybody loves to hype our prospects when they can’t even beat out anyone on a bottom5 roster.

I was quietly and consistently hyping Roy but if he couldn’t kick the door down this time I don’t know when he’ll ever have a better chance.

All this talk of “HuGo need more time to get rid of garbage” is weak rationalization, training camp is when players jockey for spots on the depth chart… that is when they’re meant to show that they’re better than ‘garbage’!

At least Roy has an excuse… we’ll see about the others…

What do you mean by Roy and an excuse?

 

[BLONG7]

I agree Roy has an excuse, for this year at least. But I don’t think it is thought that he has outplayed those other guys.

Rookies need to beat down the door not just be another warm body.

It would seem, no one at camp has stood out.............the upside to that is Laval should have a pretty decent team.
Would love to see Armia head down there also....

 

[ReHabs]

What do you mean by Roy and an excuse?

He’s not played professional hockey yet, coming from schooling hopeless Q players it would always be an adjustment. He’s a 5th round pick, anyway.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Rookies need to beat down the door not just be another warm body.

Several have knocked hard at the door, in my book, or at least harder than many thought they would.

Trudeau​

Reinbacher​

Davidson​

Q. Miller​

Parker-Jones​

Smilanic (expected very little)​

Struble (until he got hurt)​

​

As advertised:

Mailloux​

Mesar​

Beck​

Heineman​

Kidney​

Norlinder​

Simoneau​

Légaré​

F. Xhekaj​

Disappointed me (always relative to expectations - at least give a great effort):

Ylonen​

Roy​

Farrell​

Andersson​

Condotta​

Mysak​

Beaudin​

Guindon​

 

[Gustave]

It would seem, no one at camp has stood out.............the upside to that is Laval should have a pretty decent team.
Would love to see Armia head down there also....

We’ll know what we have in our prospect pool when Laval is either progressing or a stale team without improvement.

It’s been a while since our AHL affiliate gets prospects instead of middle aged AHL vets and underwhelming prospects. Laval is where it’s at for the 2024 hockey season in Habsland.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I honestly don't think the staff went in expecting any of the prospects to win a spot, baring an absolutely out of this world performance. We had so many players going in, there just isn't any room straight out of camp. A few months into the season though could be a very different story. The real competition will be in Laval, if guys like Roy or Trudeau or Mailloux hit the ground running they could find themself in Montreal by the christmas break.

 

[Agalloch]

I don't see why Norlinder wasn't cut yesterday.

He has a good camp. Also, he will be more suit to be a 7th D in MTL than Trudeau for example.

 

[RationalExpectations]

I don't see why Norlinder wasn't cut yesterday.

My guess would be that Matheson is not that close ? Or maybe they want to be sure they don t take any risk should another D get injured !

 

[HabzSauce]

Several have knocked hard at the door, in my book, or at least harder than many thought they would.

Trudeau​

Reinbacher​

Davidson​

Q. Miller​

Parker-Jones​

Smilanic (expected very little)​

Struble (until he got hurt)​

​

As advertised:

Mailloux​

Mesar​

Beck​

Heineman​

Kidney​

Norlinder​

Simoneau​

Légaré​

F. Xhekaj​

Disappointed me (always relative to expectations - at least give a great effort):

Ylonen​

Roy​

Farrell​

Andersson​

Condotta​

Mysak​

Beaudin​

Guindon​

Trudeau has been my favorite player by far since rookie camp. He looks awesome!

Sucks to see he was cut last night. Would have liked to see one more game just for fun. He should be first to be called up if/when injuries start happening.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

This year is vitally important for Laval/ Habs. We must see player development, no more excuses from Laval and the Habs alumni. We have had little to no proof of player development below MSL & the big club for too many years now, we must see development or hire people with that mandate.
i know that sounds harsh but facts don’t lie. JFHoule & co have the most talented group they’ve ever had, HuGo have got to see progression from Mailloux, Roy, Mysak,Kidney,Barron etc….

 

[Wateredgarden]

Trudeau has been my favorite player by far since rookie camp. He looks awesome!

Sucks to see he was cut last night. Would have liked to see one more game just for fun. He should be first to be called up if/when injuries start happening.

I was impressed last camp as he was playing like a vet, this year i was impressed by his stick work and skills withe puck, let's just sit back and let him develope to see where it leads.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

He’s not played professional hockey yet, coming from schooling hopeless Q players it would always be an adjustment. He’s a 5th round pick, anyway.

Maybe, just maybe, he was properly drafted in the fifth round.

Yes, it was one of his better gamed tonight.

Heineman was one of the better players period last night. He showed the speed, drive and physicality (for all three periods) that any team is looking for. If he doesn't make the cut, he will be the first call up.

 

[morhilane]

My guess would be that Matheson is not that close ? Or maybe they want to be sure they don t take any risk should another D get injured !

There is 5 players for 1 free spot and a spare on the D line-up even with an healthy Matheson (but injured Wideman).

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Caufield-Suzuki-Anderson
Slafkovsky-Dach-Monahan
RHP-Newhook-Heineman
Pearson-Evans-Gallagher
Ylonen/Pezzetta

Dvorak IR
Armia waived

Matheson-Savard
Guhle-Kovacevic
Xhekaj-Harris
Lindstrom

Barron sent down

 

[BLONG7]

I honestly don't think the staff went in expecting any of the prospects to win a spot, baring an absolutely out of this world performance. We had so many players going in, there just isn't any room straight out of camp. A few months into the season though could be a very different story. The real competition will be in Laval, if guys like Roy or Trudeau or Mailloux hit the ground running they could find themself in Montreal by the christmas break.

Absolutely agree...............which is a great way to develop these kids, and their confidence.

 

[The Great Weal]

Ylonen hasn't been great, but don't see how you don't waive Armia before waiving him

 

[Habsfan18]

https://x.com/canadiensmtl/status/1708542422714569132?s=46&t=HpJObi0e3dUH_k-q0J9FaA

The Canadiens have placed forwards Lias Andersson and Philippe Maillet on waivers for the purpose of a loan to the Laval Rocket.

 

[ReHabs]

Maybe, just maybe, he was properly drafted in the fifth round.

And Mešar was a first round pick. After a time your draft rank shouldn’t define your trajectory.

In general, I don’t understand how one or the worst rosters in the NHL doesn’t have many rookies and youngsters banging on the door. Rebuilds require building… you need pieces with which to build.